Tag: artisan deli

Chinese New Year: Year of the Rooster

We may be almost a month in to 2017, but the Chinese New Year has yet to begin. The year of the Rooster will officially commence on January 28th, 2017.

The history of Chinese New Year is quite storied and varies from source to source. “It is unclear when the exact beginning of the New Year celebration in China is. Normally, it was said to start from the year end religious ceremony during the Shang Dynasty (1766 BC – 1122 BC). A few believe that it started from as early as Emperor Yao and Shun (~2300 BC). At the beginning, the date of celebration varied from mid-winter to early spring. With the maturity of the solar base calendar, Emperor Wu (157 BC – 87 BC) of the Han Dynasty (206 BC – 220), established the first day of the first month as the beginning of the year, where it remains. According to tales and legends, the beginning of Chinese New Year started with the fight against a mythical beast called the “Year”. The “Year” looks like an ox with a lion head and inhabits in the sea. At the night of New Year’s Eve, the “Year” will come out to harm people, animals, and properties. Later, people found that the “Year” fears the color red, fire, and loud sounds. Therefore, for self-protection, people formed the habit of posting red Dui Lian in front of their house as well as launching fireworks, and hanging lanterns at year end.”

To celebrate the beginning of the new year we will be creating some authentic Chinese dishes. From freshly made dumplings to our very own Piggy Market fortune cookies we think there’s no better way to ring in a new year of possibilities than with some delicious food. Make sure to stop by to pick some up for yourself!

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Robbie Burns Day

Every year during the month of January (on the 25th specifically) we celebrate what is known as Robbie Burns Day. For those of you who may not be familiar with who Robert Burns was, let us provide you with a little education:

Robert Burns (born on January 25th, 1759) was a renowned Scottish poet and lyricist who is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland and a pioneer of what is known as the ‘romantic movement’ during the 18th century. One of his most popular poems (and songs) is ‘Auld Lang Syne’ which has become an anthem to help ring in the new year annually. After a career filled with many incredible artistic endeavours, the ‘Burns Supper’ or ‘Burns Night’ tradition was created in his honour and first celebrated five years after his passing, and has been celebrated annually ever since.

The cuisine that is usually associated with celebrating Robbie Burns day includes: cock-a-leekie soup, scotch eggs and haggis. The soup which is highly regarded as ‘Scotland’s National Soup’ consists of leeks, prunes, peppered chicken stock and either rice or barley to thicken it. Scotch eggs consist of a soft-boiled egg wrapped in sausage, coated in bread crumbs and then cooked to perfection. Finally, probably the most widely known dish would be haggis which is a savoury mix between sausage and pudding made from the heart, liver and lungs of a sheep minced with onion, oatmeal, spices, suet and stock. Traditionally all of those items would be encased within the sheep’s stomach, but we use beef sausage casing as sheep’s stomach can be challenging to source.

At The Piggy Market we’ll proudly be serving all of these traditional dishes so you can celebrate Robbie Burns Day the right way. Make sure to stop by soon to reserve your ceremonial haggis!

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Ottawa pork back ribs

Why Eating Fresh is Best

 

Eating is a necessity of life, but the approach that most people take when it comes to it could use some adjustment. While some eat to live, others live to eat…so, the question is who’s in the right? Both ways are technically correct (as it’s necessary to eat to sustain life), however that doesn’t mean that you should ever sacrifice quality in order to satisfy a need.

Being mindful of the choices you make in life is important, especially when it comes to what you consume. Eating a diet rich in foods composed of fresh ingredients can be quite beneficial to your overall health and well-being. If those fresh ingredients are locally sourced from farms/markets you’re then also supporting local initiatives which is a great way to further build communities.

At The Piggy Market we pride ourselves on using fresh ingredients that are locally sourced and making the bulk of our creations in house. All non-in house items are locally sourced as we believe in supporting our local farmers and businesses. If you want to feel good about the items you’re eating (knowing that they’re fresh and from local sources) pay us a visit..you’ll be glad you did!

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Roasting the Perfect Holiday Turkey

 

The holiday season is here, which means creating wonderful memories with friends and family over delicious food and drinks. We love getting to be a part of different festive celebrations in various communities throughout the city through the fresh and local offerings we provide. Our ready to eat (or simple reheat and eat) options are great, but it’s the things like cooking a turkey to perfection from start to finish which can sometimes be tricky…which is why we want to be as helpful as possible!

Here are some steps to ensure you cook the perfect turkey this holiday:

  • Tuck wing tips underneath body of turkey.
  • With fingers, separate skin from turkey breast. Stuff softened butter under skin.
  • Season the inside cavity of the turkey with salt.
  • Using kitchen twine, cross the legs together and tie them securely.
  • Season turkey all over with freshly ground black pepper.
  • Put turkey into roasting pan. It’s ready to roast.

Important Note: If you’ve brined your turkey cook it for 15 minutes/lb at 350 degrees. Non-brined turkeys should be cooked for 20 minutes/lb at the same temperature. It’s also suggested to cook the turkey breast side down for the first hour and then flip it breast side up for the remainder of the cooking time. Also, if you’re going to make stuffing, cook it on the side; refrain from stuffing your bird before cooking it as raw juices will drop into the stuffing, and you will need to cook the turkey to an internal temperature of 165 degrees, which will overcook the turkey.

Make sure you stop by The Piggy Market this week to get a fresh Scotch Line turkey and our famous stuffing to help make your holiday feast a memorably delicious one!

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#SupportLocal: Scotch Line Turkey Farms

When you support local, it goes beyond just getting something freshly made at your favourite artisan deli and craft butcher shop food market. The locally sourced items that we use here at The Piggy Market are not only special because they help us create wonderful culinary creations, but they have their own unique story.

This is the first entry in a monthly series that we’re calling #SupportLocal where we will be showcasing the people behind some of the locally sourced items that we use in our store. First up is Scotch Line Turkey Farms where we get our fresh (never frozen) birds for the holidays.

Colin and AmyBeth Brubacher along with their three children are the people behind Scotch Line Turkey Farms; they are the third generation of Brubachers to run the farm. “Colin and AmyBeth took over the farm management from Colin’s parents nine years ago, but actually started building a succession plan over 16 years ago. To help things run smoothly, the couple work alongside Colin’s dad, Landis, and employ local part-time students to help them on evenings and weekends. ‘We love working with animals and the satisfaction you get from raising healthy turkeys,’ says Colin. “It’s very rewarding being able to produce healthy, great tasting food and just being a part of the agricultural community.’” The turkeys they raise and sell are 100% Ontario grown, with no antibiotics, and are free run (outside in a fenced area).

What’s truly special about the Brubacher family and their farm is that they take the time and care to provide a quality product, which also helps to stimulate the Ontario economy. Make sure to pre-order your own fresh Scotch Line Turkey (sized between 14-24 pounds) for the holidays from our store. They will be in between Dec 22nd-24th, while supplies last!

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Exterior signage for The Piggy Market

What being an Artisan Shop Really Means

 

There are many times when a lot of trendy buzzwords get thrown around simply because they are popular, but sometimes there isn’t a lot of real comprehension behind the word, which means it can either get misused, or get lost in translation completely. The word ‘artisan’ is one of those words. As of late, many brands have used the term to describe their particular offerings but aren’t actually artisans themselves; they used the word to bring about a new and special type of attention to themselves which may not even work for their specific audience.

The question then is: what is a true artisan in the first place? The term is defined as ‘a worker in a skilled trade, especially one that involves making things by hand.’ That right there should eliminate many of the artisan items you may have seen out there. Chances are the bigger the brand, the less likely they are to be making anything by hand (it’s still possible of course, just less likely).

True artisans usually only make things in limited quantity as supplies may be limited or because they do not want to jeopardize/saturate the overall quality of the final product. At The Piggy Market we are happy to call ourselves and be considered by many as true artisans. From the freshly baked bread, to full on take home meals made with some of the freshest and locally sourced meats, everything is crafted by hand and made and/or completed in house. Our non store made products are sourced from true artisans as well. Whether it’s cheeses, salamis, preserves, and honeys, Dave and the team make routine visits to their suppliers and friends to make sure they’re getting the best, and making new contacts in the community as well. In doing this, we are able to offer a full and authentic Piggy Market experience for our customers. We strive to ensure that everything we make is of a certain standard and quality in order to facilitate said experience. Stop by to see our piggy process in action and get familiar with true artisans.

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